Fools Love

Sloppy love made in hast with shattered wings
My hearts hollow to beat, withered contempt
Impatient by the deep misery love now brings
When desires are high but love exempt
Emotions lacking sense, naked, humped dry
Still holding on to a feeble beating
Like sparks fading on the 4th of July
What once was affection is now fleeting
Desire simplicity of the soul
Confide in reflection, fulfilling self
All companionship combats for control
New affections to place on your trophy shelf

Though hearts are gentle and clumsily fall
Love does not make a fool of us all

Super Villainy

How often can someone say they’re a Super Villain? Very few, and I’m one of them. My names Kevin, but the villain title given to me by the Evil League of Evil is Dr. Catastrophe. Strikes some fear into the heart, don’t it? I came from a very long line of super villains. I mainly focus in the Mad Science department; you know building giant robots and creating laser beams that harness the power of the sun. My Pops or “Sinister Fist” was more the specialized fighter type, you know, a master of karate, with all that flipping, kicking, punching, craziness that you see in all the comics. His costume was even Spandex! I was sort of the first person in the family to take on the science gig, mostly ‘cause all the men on my dad’s side were born lifting weights and kicking ass. But I’m the exception.
I remember when I was about twelve years old and it was right near Christmas, I had asked my mom for the science kit I’d seen in the back of one of my Jr. Villain comic books. Those books were the best, ‘cause the villain always won in the end instead of having a stupid superhero come along and mess it up. My mom told me that if I did well in school that I would be getting whatever I wanted. So all of December I studied really hard, I even entered a science fair and I would have won first prize... if my robot hadn’t attacked the judges. Finally our progress reports came out just before Christmas break. I had straight As, so of course I knew that I would get the science kit. What I didn’t know was how much trouble it would cause.

It was Christmas morning and I had woken up hours before my parents to run down and check outall of the presents and to see which one was my science kit. I rummaged through the piles of wrapping paper with Snowmen and Santa on them and eventually found one the I could feel had a handle attached to it. I knew that had to be it, I took it out from all the other boxes and placed it out in front, so that my mom would pick it first for me to open. Then I went and sat in the television room and watched Christmas cartoons till I heard feet walking down the stairs. It was my mother.
“Can I open one now please? I’ve been waiting for you for ever!”
“Just wait, your father will be down in a second, and then you can open a gift,” said my mother. She was always so kind, and sometimes I wondered why she had married a super villain. My dad was nice, but not without his obvious flaws: the late nights, the arch enemies, and the… the constant need to take over the world. But it seems that my mom was able to over look all of that. Eventually, my dad came downstairs in his silk housecoat, muscles bulging from every opening. The coat had a big Gold S and F embroidered on the breast.
“Merry Christmas family,” he said as he walked down the stairs.
“And how is my boy today? Are you excited?” Not pausing for me to answer, he went on. “Well you better be, I got you a little something special this year.” As he said this he picked up a badly wrapped box from the pile. It was obvious my father had wrapped it himself. He forced it into my chest almost knocking me down in the process.
“Open it up now! I want to see the look on your face. Open it!”
I had never seen my dad so excited. He had a smile so big it would make anyone question if this guy was a super villain, or running for the governor of California. I ripped open the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside was a black spandex suit, on the back it said “Junior Fist” in large gold letters, and on the front it had the Sinister Fist logo of a fist smashing earth. I was surprised, but disappointed. This isn’t what I wanted. Sure, maybe I was being a bit ungrateful, but I was twelve and the son of a super villain, so excuse me if I didn’t have the greatest manners. My dad could see right away the disappointment in my face,
“What is it? Not the color you wanted? I thought you’d want to match your old man! And if it’s the name, we can see about getting that changed.”
I held it back, I knew the science kit would be next and it would make everything better. I was sure of that.
“No, I love it dad. It’s great. All the guys are going to think its awesome!” I said, faking enjoyment by raising my voice. It was enough and my dad gave me a strong pat on the back. The gift giving continued. First, a big yellow sweater sent from my Aunt in Canada who sends me a sweater every year. Then, a pair of night vision goggles from Uncle Mysterio. And then, at last, it was in my hands. I held the box, wrapped in smiling Snowmen, and ripped it open without a pause. There it was in all its glory.
“Junior Villainy Science Kit”
“World Domination for the Junior Villain!”
“Ages 10-16”
Instantly, I was overwhelmed with joy. It burst out of me with such force that I shot up screaming and yelling. I danced around like those kids on America’s Funniest Home Videos until my dad’s booming voice stopped me.
“A science kit?! No, no, no! Not for my son!”
“Stu, he asked me for it months ago, and he did so well in school this term,” said my mom, trying to compromise with him. But it was no use, his face began to get red.
“Oh and what? Have my son grow up to be some geek mad scientist that gets his ass kicked by any guy in a pair of tights? You know what we say about guys like that down at the League... they’re a laughing stock! Half of their so-called “inventions” don’t even work and end up blowing up in their faces. That is not going to be my son, god damn it!” y dad always had a bit of an ego to him. Even when talking to me, it was sometimes like he meant to intimidate me. This had cut deep.
“Sorry I don’t want to run around like a brute kicking and punching anything that moves! Sorry, I don’t want to be an idiot like you!” I screamed in his face with all my might, and when the last words had left my mouth, I ran. I ran back up the stairs and into my room slamming the door behind me. I jumped underneath my covers and tried to hold back the tears that seemed to stab through my eyes involuntarily like pins. I was too old to cry and this fact made me feel even more pathetic than I already did from my father’s speech. I sat underneath my covers for what seemed like hours, waiting for something to happen. I had never yelled at my dad like that before and didn’t know what would happen, but eventually I heard my door open and I peeked my head out from the blankets. It was my mother.
“That wasn’t very nice what you said to your father downstairs. I know you don’t agree with him all the time, but that’s just part of growing up with a super villain as a father.”
Her words calmed me down but didn’t take away the hatred I still felt for my father.
“But, he’s an idiot who can’t appreciate the power of science. It makes me so angry. He’s just like everyone else out there that makes fun of me. He just doesn’t understand me!”
“Kevin, don’t you think you’re father felt the same way? He hated his father too, that’s why he became a super villain. He used that hatred to fuel his career and so can you my son.” And with that my mom sat up from the bed and walked out of the room.
After that Christmas my father and I didn’t talk very much. I just worked day and night with my junior science kit, making mini robots with lasers for eyes, and whipping up batches of acid that could eat through vault doors. I did all this while my dad was out beating up guards and stealing priceless diamonds. Science became my obsession, and my hatred for those fools who cannot understand and accept it provoked me. Today I am Dr. Catastrophe and the world trembles at my name. But all I can think is, “wouldn’t dad be proud?”.

Just Breathe, Take it Easy on Me

When we lie in fields of green it’s when I mean to seem alone

This is not what one would call a very happy home

The streets we roam and feelings grown for life that have been lost

I can’t believe the amount of livings cost

It’s not fair to have no cares and not worry life away

Give it your all then go shop at the mall is what some may say

I can’t wait for the day I die watch the people at my funeral as the cry

Remembering me the way I was oh so innocent and young as I laughed my cares away in the blazing sun

Down in the ground I’ll have so much fun six feet under away the pretentious and dumb

Give me a sign not one in sky but one that give my life something to live by

Substance in absence of what can remain when you conform to that lie

That all good people will die

That at all good funeral’s you should cry

That what you read is a lie

Think for yourself in this time of need it will help you out

And remember just breathe.

Consumtion In an Age of Decline

Consume till you die and then leave your family some money. They can consume some more until they die, it`s only fair, don’t be selfish!

Why live off the land when we have Snuggies and Magic Bullets.

Five easy payments and seven deadly sins

Wrap your life up in bubble wrap and ship it to your front door, sign for it, now don’t you feel better?

Uh oh! Version 2.0 came out and it`s a hot item,

Hop in your car made in the country you can’t pronounce and fill it full of all the life`s lost for your trip and then call it just.

Bring yourself to tear of joy when Jesus was born because you got a Wii

Huxley saw it coming but we enjoy it too much

This is the grave we dug and the choice we made

Drown yourself in the useless shit that brings you those sparks of life

Tell yourself you’re different `cause the clothes you wear are urban

You live in the city but you live in its sin

The billboards, the buses, the drinks, telling you what to buy next when will we run out, when will we have it all, when will enough be enough, or is there such thing

Do we live to consume and consume to live?

Is this vicious circle the circle of life?

So many questions and so few answers in a world where down is the new up

It’s hard to find time to stop and just smell the roses when it costs 5 dollars a rose

If you`re rich come on in; private education for you

Advantage for the strong and obstacle courses for the weak

Bring me justice in a paper bag and tell me about lives lost and life`s cost

Because the wars we wage are just and the men who wage them are right

Change of course in God`s great plan; 50% and bring your coupons

St. Peter can validate your parking at the Pearly Gates

Cause heaven`s not a place you go when you die, it’s a place you go when you want to buy.

Henry and Larry

Larry: Henry, that’s not going to work. You need more than just a leather jacket to get girls.

Henry: I’m serious Larry, that’s what I read in this magazine. Why would the magazine lie to me?

Larry: The same reason a girl wouldn’t date you.

Henry: Oh, so I guess having a Yu Gi Oh poster and an action figure collection bigger then superman’s ego makes you a lady killer.

Larry: Yeah, actually it does. In fact you’re talking to the owner of his very own girlfriend.

Henry: What? No way! What’s her name? Does she like Yu Gi Oh too? When do I meet her? Is she a blonde? Have you had sex? Did she give you an std? Oh my god did you get her pregnant? Can the baby be named after m...

Larry: Woah, calm down friend, I haven’t actually met her yet. But, we are supposed to be getting married once she arrives from Korea next week.

Henry: You’re getting married!!!!!! So, I assume I will be your best man! Wait, Korea? When did you go to Korea?

Larry: I haven’t.

Henry: Wait, you didn’t?

Larry: What?

Henry: A mail order bride!?

Larry: Actually the politically correct term is planned and paid for engagement or just a PP engagement for short.

Henry: This woman probably doesn’t even speak English

Larry: Hey, don’t talk about my fiancé that way!

Henry: You haven’t even met her yet!

Larry: Yeah, but the picture on the site, her deep black eyes and straight black hair; I fell in love, Henry. I don’t expect you to understand this but trust me it will happen to you one day, bud.

Henry: You have gone completely insane! You can’t actually believe that is actually the girl who is coming here next week. For all you know it could be some 500 lb retired women’s sumo wrestler who has dreams of becoming the new Asian Oprah.
Larry: Whoa, now you’re just being ignorant. Sumo wrestling is from Japan. Not all Asians are the same; and now I am part of an interracial couple, I can be thoroughly upset and maybe even call you on a hate crime, but since you’re my friend I will spare you from my powers of racial minority.

Henry: Oh, I’m sorry I was unaware that buying a mail order bride turns you into Malcolm X.

Larry: I accept your apology. Now, come on let’s go or we will miss the comic convention and we don’t want to miss out on all the hot chicks that leather jacket is going to get us.

Henry: I will choose to ignore your sarcasm.
(SFX: Door opening , door closing, Walking down street)

Larry: Henry, look it’s her! She’s here! Early! She must have not been able to wait! I knew she felt the same, I could tell!
Henry: This is just too messed up for words, why couldn’t you have just used the internet for porn like everyone else?

Larry: You couldn’t understand, you don’t know what love is.

Henry: How do you know that is even her, she’s just some Asian woman walking down your street, there is more chance of me playing professional sports than that being your mail order bride.

Larry: PP Engagement! And that’s my wife, I can feel it I’m going for it.

Larry: HELLO! MY NAME IS LARRY, I AM GOING TO BE YOUR HUSBAND! I LOVE YOU!

AW: 승리했지만 당일 싫 영어. 당신은 누구세요?

Larry: Don’t worry come with me, you will learn English soon enough my love.

AW: 나는 승리했지만 당일 미안하는지 모르겠지?

Henry: I see she came willing, I’m surprised.

Larry: Love overcomes all language barriers we could tell just by looking each other
deep into the eyes it’s like magic.

Henry: So, I was right she doesn’t speak English.

Larry: Come on, don’t just stand there let’s bring her inside and let her get settled.

Henry: I think she’d feel more settled with a green card and visa but what do I know
I thought a leather coat would help me meet girls.

Larry: You know that Beatles song all you need is love? I think it’s true. That’s all we need. I don’t even feel confided by the restrictions and limitations of reality anymore. Love has freed me!

AW :승리했지만 당일 싫 영어. 당신은 누구세요?

Larry: Hahaha oh Linda, you’re so hilarious where do you come up with stuff like that?

Henry: Linda? You named her! This is a person not some pet!

Larry: Well, I have to call her something and it’s not like I got a name on the website, just a picture.

Henry: I think the internet has desensitized your brain to the point where basic moral value is destroyed, take a look at yourself in the mirror.

Larry: Linda, have I ever told you, that you have the most beautiful eyes!

Henry: You told me she did.

Larry: Shut up, Henry.

Henry: What’s she doing now?
(phone sounds)

Aw: 안녕하십니까 데리러 와 오겠지 모르겠 승리했지만 당일 무슨 일이 일어나고 있습니다.

Henry: Whoa, check out that phone! It looks better then my laptop.

Larry: She must be calling her family and telling them about the wedding. Oh the Wedding! There’s so much work to do, now that she came early we have to order the cake and the flowers and get a venue on such short notice is gunna be difficult but anything for love I guess.

Henry: I assume you’ve thought of kids names already.

Larry: I was thinking Yugi for a son and Pepper for a girl it combines my two loves; yu gi oh and iron man how cool is that.

Henry: I wish all decisions could be made using comic logic but sadly we live in something called the real world soooo no it is not “cool”.

Larry: Fine. Then, they can’t can you uncle Henry, instead I will train them to call you Doctor Doom Destroyer of dreams.

Henry: Have you noticed you have this weird thing were you treat all humans like pets.

Larry: No, I don’t.

Henry: “I will train them to call you doctor doom” Is that after you train them to roll over? I suggest you cover basic commands like sit and stay to start.

Larry: Look at her, isn’t she beautiful, just sitting there looking out that widow and into her new life with me.

Henry: It looks more like she is looking for something out there.

Larry: Henry, that’s just the look of love

Henry: So when I’m in love I will look up and down the street out my window?

Larry: It will happen one day don’t you worry friend.

Henry: I hope this never happens to me, just being here is sort of creeping me out. You can’t just marry and live with a woman you don’t even know and can’t even talk to, it’s insane.

Larry: Henry, this PP engagement is one of the best things to ever happen to me, she makes me wanna try in life, she gives me a reason to wake up in the morning, if I didn’t have her I would be nothing just a stain on the rug of life

Henry: So, ten minutes ago you were a stain?

Larry: It seems life times ago, but yes I was once like you my friend, but I found
Linda.

Henry: Stop calling her that, it’s not her name.

Larry: How would you know Mr. Smarty pants, last time I checked you didn’t speak Korean either.

Henry: I don’t. I’m just saying what are the chances that your mail order bride from
Korea is named Linda? I just can’t see it.

Larry: You can’t see a lot of things can you.

Henry: Is that supposed to be a glasses joke?

Larry: Maybe.

Henry: ..
(Knocking at door)

Henry: Who could that be?

Larry: Oh, it must be the wedding planner!

Henry: Wedding Planner! There is no way any wedding planner would do a mail order bride wedding.

Larry: Yellow pages my friend, yellow pages.

Henry: I should have been a jock in high school and made normal friends

Larry: Yeah, I bet you hitting puberty before 18 would have been great but some people are just late bloomers.

Henry: You’re a dick.
(door Opening)

Cameron: Hey, hi and hello I’m your wedding planner Cameron! We are gunna make this wedding the most super duper amazing wedding since Ellen and Portia’s wedding, I’m seeing classic white with and new flare of pink, are you with me?

Larry: uh..

Cameron: How do you feel about ice sculptures? Michael Angelo's David is stunning in ice, it add a certain glisten to muscular physique that I think adds something that Michael could have never done. Oh and flowers! How about some white Calla lilies with an arrangement of pink tulips around them for the center pieces; White table cloths with embroidered pink flowers all along the trim. It will spectacular !

Larry: And how much is all this going to cost?

Cameron: Well, we will discuss specifics later first lets meet the bride, I’m sure she has lost of input!

Henry: Yeah, tons of input hahahaha.

Larry: She is just in here.

Cameron: HI! I’m your wedding planner Cameron.

AW: 승리했지만 당일 싫 영어. 당신은 누구세요?

Cameron: Um ok, well does she speak any English?

Larry: Well, no not yet she is new to the country.

Cameron: Oh, is this a PP engagement?

Henry: Wait what? How can you say that so casually! We found this woman outside on
our street!

Larry: She came early.

Cameron: PP Engagements are common occurrence in lonely white males over 30, but I wish you had told me ahead of time this changes the whole plan, I’m thinking classic white wedding with a flare of oriental taste, this makes the food totally different, how about a buffet of chicken wings and kimchi spring rolls?

Larry: That sounds great!

Henry: That sounds idiotic

Cameron: I’m sorry you feel that way about it buddy but it doesn’t look your the one
getting married here.

Larry: Someone sounds jealous.

Henry: Jealousy is the farthest thing from what I am; a more correct term might be
mystified or confused.

Larry: Don’t worry about him he’s just a Debbie downer so what’s this about ice sculptures?
(knocking at door)

Larry: Oh, is that your partner or something?

Cameron: It couldn’t be roger is in Miami for a men’s beach volleyball tournament.

Henry: Maybe it’s immigration coming to shut this down!
(Door Opening)

Larry: Um, hello

Albert: Hi my wife has been calling me, she said she need to be pick up, who are you!

Larry: I think you’re mistaken the only woman here is my soon to be wife.

Henry: But don’t worry 80% of marriages end in divorce.

AW: 안녕하세요, 우리가 마음대로 할 수 있습니다.

Albert: 그렇다, 그 다음 순간 , actually it is you who is mistaken, that’s my wife, she is new to the country, I’ve been working here for a year while she was waiting to get her visa, she left this morning to look around and I guess ran into you, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, we will be leaving.

Larry: What! Leaving! No not with Linda! We are in love! What about Yugi and Pepper! And Michael Angelo's David! Fine we can have a cat! Just please don’t leave me!!!!!

Henry: I’m sorry about him, he just had to much caffeine this morning and it makes him a bit uppity but a nap should solve that. Let’s just pretend it never happened.

Albert: I see your friend is in a lot of pain so I won’t call the police but I do suggest you find him some sort of help or at least someone he can speak to.

Henry: Thanks, a lot.

Larry: Home wrecker!!!!!!!
(door closes)

Larry: Oh, the pangs of despised love how you torture this soul of mine!

Cameron: Oopsy daisy, that looks like some bad luck, we won’t talk money now, I will just send an invoice in the mail. Byeee!
(door opens, door closes)

Henry: So you learn anything today?

Larry: (sniffle) Yeah, I guess so.

Henry: And...

Larry: Don’t pick up random women off the street unless you’re sure it’s your future wife.

Henry: Um, okay. I guess you did learn that, but I was thinking more; don’t fall in love so easily.

Larry: I’m not that upset, just disappointed. I mean it’s not like I never will have a beautiful wife, I just have to wait a week until she actually comes from Korea, then we’ll have a wedding with ice sculptures and spring rolls. It will be magical.

Henry: Larry you can’t... actually yeah Larry it will be, magical.

THE END

Prologue

Sometimes I wonder whether or not it is hypocritical for someone to hate life, and yet still live it, I mean it’s impossible to judge if life is by choice or not, because who is to say I ever wanted to be born in the first place. We all know how babies are made and understand the sperm race that ensues after, so what are all those little sperms thinking? How great would it be if they got a date for the sperm dance tonight? Or hoping that they get that project done for the class tomorrow? Well, of course that not what they’re thinking, at least not yet give it nine months and about seventeen years that’s about the time when you start to think that big race you ran, wasn’t quite worth it. I Wake up every day at 6, get nagged by the two people who decided it would be a good idea to bring me into this world, walk out into the cold morning and stand at a bus stop with a couple of other people who are slaves to a similar system, and then once the bus arrives I hop on, pay my money, and get my daily drive to school.

School is what every single child dreads. It strips you of all the innocence and ignorance that makes childhood one of the most enjoyable stages of life. The age old dispute of “ignorance is bliss” comes into my mind constantly as I sit in my English class, peering out the window at the park below, I see all the small children playing in the sand, not a worry or care in the world. It’s as if the “meaning of life” means so little to them. Like the whole reason of our labouring society is pointless in its endeavours to educate, and progress forward into the future. If only god had made us all our own individual remotes for our own little worlds, just so every once and a while we could press pause, and just enjoy life instead of just constantly living it. As I sit here listening to the teacher go on about the proper way to cite work for in MLA format, I wonder why we are persistently trying to make the processes of life and society more convoluted.

Sandbox

The sun beat down hard upon the sandbox this one Monday afternoon. Billy was making his way to the park with his mother as he did every day. Although this day he had been to the doctor and was given a bright red lollipop which Billy picked out after his check up. Billy clutched the lollipop tightly in his left hand as he walk down the trail with his mother, he planned on opening it once he had arrived at the park, so he could make his friends jealous with the temptation of the red sticky treat. As Billy walked he imagined the looks he would get, and the envy that would surface as his friends begged for lick.

As Billy arrived at the park, it didn’t take long for him to realize his anticipation was deluded. He walked up into the sandbox and majestically held up the bright red lollipop, on display for all to see. As Billy slowly removed its wrapper, as it glistened in the bright of the sun, he noticed what was going on around him, not one child had even given a glance towards him or his bright red lollipop. In fact, they were all gathered on the far side of the sandbox. As Billy approached the group, he saw his friends Beth, Frank and, Will all sitting together in the back of the group, and all the kids were listening to John talk. John was an older boy who still came to the park, even though he was a couple years older than the rest of the children, and had just moved up to junior high school. All the children respected John, and looked up to him as a much smarter and wiser kid. It was known that if anyone had a problem in the sandbox, John would solve it. Beth filled Billy in on what had happened while he was at the doctor she said that “John got on top of the jungle gym and announced that there was gunna be an important meeting on the far side of The Box and that everyone should come, whoa where’d you get that! ” Beth exclaimed pointing to the yet to be licked lollipop, hanging out of Billy’s hand. Before Billy could explain his trip to the doctor and tell of his good fortune he was interrupted by John “Can’t you see that you can do better than lollipops! Do you not understand that we must take what we want! We must rise up against the oppression of this authority called our parents, we must create our own world, our own society. Free yourselves from the ignorance and open your minds, you must work for a better life and eventually you will live a better life. It is about progress!” With this, the kids cheered and threw sand up into the air. Everyone but Billy, who sat confused in the sand and wondered why the kids would rally against their parents. After all his mom and dad loved him, fed him and, gave him toys. Sure, sometimes he would get in trouble for being too loud or for saying a bad word; but he understood that’s just how the world worked. Why try to fix something that as far as Billy could see, wasn’t even broken. But John’s words had done it, the change was instant in the children, John had showed them the promise of equality and progress. “We will begin our rebellion by showing the adults that we are there equals, no more T-shirts with cats on them” John said pointedly towards a strange, round faced boy in the front row who had on a shirt with a playful cartoon cat on it. “We will dress as they do, we will show them that we have the ability of discipline and order. We will show those adults that we can use your minds that we will have purpose!” Johns confidence and coolness of speech controlled the audience. Next, John split up the children into different groups, and sent them out to various department stores around the town, where they were to steal different for the rebellion; Spray paint, crow bars, rope, banners and more. Everyone in The Sandbox, or The Box as it was now referred to had succumbed to the rebellion. Everyone but Billy, who sat on the outskirts of The Box playing with his toy dump trucks, Billy had decided that he wasn’t going to take part in the rebellion he just didn’t see the point in working for some joint purpose. Why bother with changing the world, why not just let things happen the way they do and leave it at that he thought. He didn’t want to be an adult. He saw his mom and dad fight over pieces of paper every night, and he knew that being an adult meant that he wouldn’t be able to just enjoy sitting and playing with trucks anymore, he knew that if he was an adult he would always want more and what is the point in wanting more when you’re happy with what you have.

As Billy sat playing with his trucks he noticed Beth making her way across The Box in his direction, she was dressed in a deep purple pants suit with a silver pin stripe, her hair had been tightly sleeked back into a bun, and she carried two black pencils on opposing angles to form an X. She stopped abruptly in front of Billy and glared down at him, she seemed so much bigger and important to Billy, but he wasn’t going to let himself be intimidated. “Hey Beth wanna come play?” Billy asked as he held up his truck “See this one actually has a button that you press and ...” Beth cut him off “Actually I’m here on behalf of The Box it seems you have not been paying your Box taxes and it seems we are going to have to do some repossessing” with that Beth grabbed Billy’s truck form his hand and walked off. Billy was shocked; he and Beth had been best friends forever. How could she just come and take away Billy’s truck that he had bought with his allowance. Billy felt tears begin to form in the corners of his eyes as he began to cry. He had been betrayed by his own friend all because of this so called progress. What could he do but sit on the outskirts of the box and cry, and hope that everything would go back to the way it was before.

The next day Billy came to the box with three dollar he had gotten from the tooth fairy. He was ecstatic that he had been visited by the tooth fairy, and had come into the park with a smile plastered across his face. He walked down past the jungle gym which had recently been turned into the headquarters for the first mayor of The Box, Billy had overheard kids talking about something called an election and that John won the title of mayor. None of this mattered to Billy, he would just walked on through until he heard a familiar voice “hey Billy, hey!” Billy spun around and saw his two friends Larry and Will both of them were dressed in matching suits the only difference was, Larry had on a gold tie while Will had on a silver one. “ How can you have that smile on your face! Did you hear about the price of oil? It went up 5 percent yesterday!” Larry asked Billy with a tone of urgency in his voice. Billy just stared back at them in confusion, he didn’t understand a word of what Larry had asked, and he wondered what oil even had to do with life in the sand box but instead of looking stupid, Billy decided to change the topic to something he knew he couldn’t look dumb for and that was his tooth fairy money. “Hey I just got three dollars from the tooth fairy last night. My mom said I might only get a dollar but she said I must have got three cause of how good I’ve been.” Will and Larry responded with a burst of laughter “oh children these days will believe anything.” Will said between his laughter.

Billy, vexed with the laughter turned and ran down to the bench just outside of the park. He sat down and began to sob uncontrollably, he was being stripped of his innocence, and he could feel it falling away from him, he knew it was only a couple of years until it disappeared all together. The lust for simplicity in life, progressively faded in front of his own youthful eyes, as the reality and weight of the world was knocking at the doors of his mind. Responsibility, independence, life was rushing at him with full force, and he just wished it could stay the way it was. Billy wished he could just make it all stop, so he could just enjoy but it was too late the change had already begun.